“Mars Attack! ' Serious evil fusake [Mizumaru Kawahara's CINEMONOLOGUE Vol.52]

Martian weapons that look like toys

What makes it more than just a sleazy pulp science fiction film based on a trading card with cruel graphics is its attention to detail. The Martians were drawn using CG, which was the most advanced technology at the time, and even though they are CG, their movements give the impression of a stop-motion animation, and the spacesuits and laser guns worn by the Martians look like toys at first glance. Although it looks cheap, if you look closely you can see that it has been used, with dirt and bald paint (I wonder how many planets were sacrificed before it came to Earth?). The typical and simple saucer, which is said to be based on the one that appeared in " Mystery of the Century: Flying Saucers Attack the Earth," has a heavy metallic feel and has a solid mechanism for driving. Even when it lands lightly on its crab-like landing legs, or when the gangway extends like a tongue, there is a sense of its mechanical presence.

After the red-robed Martian ambassador and the blue-robed Martian leader, Martian Spygirl is also an unforgettable character. Lisa Marie, who was also the director's muse at the time, plays the role of a female Martian spy disguised as a human woman. The whirlpool-patterned dress and huge hairstyle that hides that big brain are impressive, but Lisa Marie's figure-like shape and mysterious swaying movements also give her a mysterious atmosphere. Although he cannot wear a helmet due to his disguise, he continues to chew the gum that allows him to breathe on Earth, carries a laser gun in the bag hanging from his shoulder, and wears a camera on his finger (the eye is clearly visible). She is wearing a ring with a .

Just wandering around in front of the White House, a public relations officer played by Martin Short gets caught and taken in, and easily sneaks inside (Martian Spygirl doesn't say a word during this time, but there's no problem at all), and ends up in the president's bedroom. They sneak in and take the president hostage while wearing his pajamas, but are stopped by the Secret Service. The Martian leader, who was watching this with a ring camera, became furious, and the fleet that had been on standby immediately attacked Earth, and the full-scale invasion began... Halfway through, the skin of the monster's mouth peels off, exposing the Martian's row of teeth, which is interesting as it contrasts with Lisa Marie's neat face, but eventually that face is taken off to reveal the Martian's face. I also like the scene.

While destroying the world at random, the Martians also introduce ride-on robot weapons, which is also a motif found in the trading card design. It's a robot with simple jointed arms and legs, and it uses its scissor-like hands to pick up and destroy trailer houses (it's like Godzilla lifting a train). It's a weapon that appears without any particular purpose, but the scene where another Martian throws something like a lunch box to the Martian pilot when they take off is a nice little detail. The Martians' gadgets and gimmicks are completely random, but they're fun to watch, and it's great that they're never made haphazardly. The fact that toy-like weapons attack the Earth is a good representation of the character of the work, which is based on the trading card medium, and the depiction of the Earth desperately resisting the rampaging Martians playing around is also sad. It's also funny. Even nuclear missiles, which were a trump card for humanity (or America), are defeated by the Martians' funny weapons.

It's interesting because it's made seriously.